Puchen Wang (17) of Auckland recently broke off his attempt to earn the grandmaster title in his 'gap year' before University. But the reason is something to be proud of – he has been awarded the highest level chess scholarship to study engineering at the University of Texas, Dallas, and his studies begin next month. UTD is one of only two US universities to award scholarships for chess, and Puchen will receive grandmaster coaching and play in the US university league while completing his engineering studies. But the scholarship emphasis is on academic achievement and on top of his outstanding chess abilities Puchen had to score highly in the Standard Apptitude Tests (SATs) to earn his reward.
The last tournament of Wang's grandmaster campaign was also his best result to date: an unbeaten 8½/13 for third place at the June First Saturday tournament in Budapest, Hungary. Today's game is from that event and features a fluent kingside attack from Wang, playing White against female Polish IM, Iweta Rajlich.
1. d4 e6 2. Nf3 c5 3. e4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Bd3 Bc5 6. Nb3 Be7 7. Be3 ---
An unusual move in this variation of the Sicilian Kan, but the game soon heads to a typical 'hedgehog' position. 7. --- Nc6 8. c4 Nf6 9. Nc3 d6 10. O-O Ne5 11. Be2 b6 12. f4 Ned7
The manouvre Nb8-c6-e5-d7 is not uncommon in the hedgehog – Black aims to build a robust but flexible position behind the row of pawn 'spines' on the 6th rank, hoping to capitalise on any over-aggressive attack by the opponent. White takes up the challenge at the risk of ceding the e5 square. 13. f5!? exf5? 14. Nd4! ---
And is immediately rewarded. Black should have castled or played 13 ... Qc7. Now the knight gains the attacking outpost on f5, since 14 ... fxe4? would lead to 15 Nc6 Qc7 16 Nxe7 Kxe7 17 Nd5+ Nxd5 18 Qxd5 Bb7 19 Rxf7+ with a winning attack for White. 14. --- Ne5 15. Nxf5 O-O
Black preserves her light-squared bishop, planning to win back the b-pawn. Instead 15 ... Bxf5 16 Rxf5 0-0 17 Nd5 Nxd5 18 Qxd5 leaves White in total command of the light squares. 16. Nxe7+! Qxe7 17. Bxb6 Rb8 18. Bd4 Rxb2
Black seems to have survived as 19 Nd5 Nxd5 20 Bxb2 Ne3 regains the exchange with an equal position. But White has seen a much stronger continuation. 19. Rxf6!! gxf6 20. Nd5 Qb7 21. Nxf6+ Kg7 22. Qc1 Rxe2 23. Qg5+ Kh8
In a complicated position Black misses the most testing defence: 23 ... Ng6! when the immediate 24 Nh5+ Kg8 25 Qf6?! Rxg2+! 26 Kxg2 Qxe4+ 27 Kf2 Qf5+ 28 Qxf5 Bxf5 29 Nf6+ Kg7 30 Nd7+ wins the exchange for a pawn but gives Black survival chances in the ending. However 24 Rf1! leaves Black with no way to meet all threats. 24. Qh6 Rxg2+ 25. Kxg2 Rg8+ 26. Kf2 Bf5
Desperate but if 26... Rg7 then 27 Rg1 Bg4 28 Ne8 f6 29 Rb1! Qf7 30 Nxg7 winning a whole rook. 27. Rg1! Bg6 28. Nxh7 f5
Or 28 ... Bxh7 29 Qf6+ mating. 29. Nf6+ Bh7 30. Rxg8 mate
Kiwi earns chess scholarship
Problem: White to play and mate in 3.
Puchen Wang (17) of Auckland recently broke off his attempt to earn the grandmaster title in his 'gap year' before University. But the reason is something to be proud of – he has been awarded the highest level chess scholarship to study engineering at the University of Texas, Dallas, and his studies begin next month. UTD is one of only two US universities to award scholarships for chess, and Puchen will receive grandmaster coaching and play in the US university league while completing his engineering studies. But the scholarship emphasis is on academic achievement and on top of his outstanding chess abilities Puchen had to score highly in the Standard Apptitude Tests (SATs) to earn his reward.
The last tournament of Wang's grandmaster campaign was also his best result to date: an unbeaten 8½/13 for third place at the June First Saturday tournament in Budapest, Hungary. Today's game is from that event and features a fluent kingside attack from Wang, playing White against female Polish IM, Iweta Rajlich.
1. d4 e6
2. Nf3 c5
3. e4 cxd4
4. Nxd4 a6
5. Bd3 Bc5
6. Nb3 Be7
7. Be3 ---
An unusual move in this variation of the Sicilian Kan, but the game soon heads to a typical 'hedgehog' position.
7. --- Nc6
8. c4 Nf6
9. Nc3 d6
10. O-O Ne5
11. Be2 b6
12. f4 Ned7
The manouvre Nb8-c6-e5-d7 is not uncommon in the hedgehog – Black aims to build a robust but flexible position behind the row of pawn 'spines' on the 6th rank, hoping to capitalise on any over-aggressive attack by the opponent. White takes up the challenge at the risk of ceding the e5 square.
13. f5!? exf5?
14. Nd4! ---
And is immediately rewarded. Black should have castled or played 13 ... Qc7. Now the knight gains the attacking outpost on f5, since 14 ... fxe4? would lead to 15 Nc6 Qc7 16 Nxe7 Kxe7 17 Nd5+ Nxd5 18 Qxd5 Bb7 19 Rxf7+ with a winning attack for White.
14. --- Ne5
15. Nxf5 O-O
Black preserves her light-squared bishop, planning to win back the b-pawn. Instead 15 ... Bxf5 16 Rxf5 0-0 17 Nd5 Nxd5 18 Qxd5 leaves White in total command of the light squares.
16. Nxe7+! Qxe7
17. Bxb6 Rb8
18. Bd4 Rxb2
Black seems to have survived as 19 Nd5 Nxd5 20 Bxb2 Ne3 regains the exchange with an equal position. But White has seen a much stronger continuation.
19. Rxf6!! gxf6
20. Nd5 Qb7
21. Nxf6+ Kg7
22. Qc1 Rxe2
23. Qg5+ Kh8
In a complicated position Black misses the most testing defence: 23 ... Ng6! when the immediate 24 Nh5+ Kg8 25 Qf6?! Rxg2+! 26 Kxg2 Qxe4+ 27 Kf2 Qf5+ 28 Qxf5 Bxf5 29 Nf6+ Kg7 30 Nd7+ wins the exchange for a pawn but gives Black survival chances in the ending. However 24 Rf1! leaves Black with no way to meet all threats.
24. Qh6 Rxg2+
25. Kxg2 Rg8+
26. Kf2 Bf5
Desperate but if 26... Rg7 then 27 Rg1 Bg4 28 Ne8 f6 29 Rb1! Qf7 30 Nxg7 winning a whole rook.
27. Rg1! Bg6
28. Nxh7 f5
Or 28 ... Bxh7 29 Qf6+ mating.
29. Nf6+ Bh7
30. Rxg8 mate
1-0
Solution: 1 Qh6+!! Nxh6 2 Bxh6+ Kg8 3 f7#.